Improvement in clover-harvesters



D.. R. BRUTON.

Clover Harvesters.

Witness: Inv ntor.

7' I W @f/ uza/wmm fi MaC Jt 4 v I.

.dttorneys AM. PHOTD-IITHDERAFHIC C0. N Kl OSBORNE PROCESS.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

DAVID R. BRUTON,-OF CONCORD, NORTH CAROLINA.

IMPROVEMENT IN CLOVER-IHARVESTEVRS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 138,786, dated May 13, 1873; application filed October 7, 1872.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, DAVID R. BRUTON, of Concord, in the county of Oabarrus and in the State of North Carolina, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Glover-Seed Gatherer; and do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawing and to the letters of reference marked thereon making a part of this specification.

The nature of my invention consists in the construction and arrangement of a clover-seed gatherer, as will be hereinaftermore fully set forth.

In order to enable others skilled in the art to which my invention appertains to make and use the same, I will now proceed to describe its construction and operation, referring to the annexed drawing, in which Figure 1 is a perspective view, and Fig. 2 a longitudinal vertical section, of my machine. Fig. 3 shows a section of the gathering-teeth.

A represents a box of any suitable dimensions and of rectangular shape, the sides extending beyond the top and bottom at the front, leaving the front as well as the back of the box open. The back of the box is closed by a sliding door, B. On the inside. of each side of the box, at or near the points where the top and bottom terminate in front, is a vertical cleat or slat, a, in which are placed suitable iron boxes to form bearings for the central shaft O of a reel placed within the box at this point. The reel consists of two heads, D D, secured on the shaft O, one near each side of the box, but so as not to touch the same, and the heads connected by means of a series of bars, E E, which are let into the edges of the heads. One end of the shaft 0 extends beyond the side of the box A, and is provided with a pulley, b, in perfect range with a driving-wheel, G, attached to the inner side of the hind wheel H on that side, and a belt, d, passing around said wheel G and pulley 1). Sharp steel knives e e are secured on the bars E E of the reel, with the sharp edges projecting beyond the bars, as shown in Fig. 2. The reel thus completed is adjusted to turn just above iron teeth ff secured to the bottom of the box A. This reel is covered by a drum, I, leaving an opening at the bottom only, as shown. The ends of the sides of the box should be provided with thick and wide iron straps running up and down, through which are made a number a holes, a: m, for the passage of an iron rod, 90, at each end, or screws to fasten the machine to two coupling-rails, J J, which are clamped to the hind axle K and to the bolster L, coupled on the front axle K.

The driving wheel or drum Gr may be made in such a manner as to be fastened to the hind wheel of any wagon, and thus the box, with the entire machinery, can be attached to the axles of a common wagon, the coupling-rails J J forming the connection between them, and, by means of the holes in the sides of the box, the machine can be raised or lowered at will to suit the height of the wheels upon which it may be supported.

The box is adjusted either above or below the line of the shaft 0 by extracting the bolts 00 and raising or lowering the box to the required height and readjusting the bolts in the holes made for this purpose.

As the machine moves forward the clover passes in between the teeth ff, and the heads are cut off by the knives c e on the revolving reel.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-- The combination, with the axles K K, of the longitudinal rails J J and the adjustable box A with perforations w w and interior clovergathering mechanism, all constructed and operated substantially as set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand this 18th day of September, 1872.

DAVID R. BRUTON. Witnesses:

SAMUEL SLooP, CHAS. F. HAINS. 

